Now @ MPL...

A college education is becoming more and more important these days. Unfortunately, it's also getting more and more expensive.
For anyone who is interested in going to college, but isn't sure how to afford it, Financial Aid 101 at the Bay View Library is a great place to get started, and get some questions answered.
The program is being put on by the Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corporation. It takes place Wednesday, November 14, from 6:00-7:30 p.m.

Keeping your brain healthy is just as important as keeping your heart healthy!

Did you know that playing board games keeps your brain healthy and can lower your risk of developing dementia? Having fun with games activates strategic, spatial, and memory parts of the brain.

If you are looking for ways to get healthy and stay fit, start at your library!

Drop in to play games, enjoy nutritious snacks, discover the Nintendo Wii, and receive health information. All ages welcome!

Bay View Library
Saturday, March 21
1:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Martin Luther King Library
Saturday, March 28
1:00 - 3:00 p.m.

*Sponsored by the MetLife Foundation*

The Buddha advised that he who envies others does not obtain peace of mind.
I would quibble with that bromide by adding that the Buddha never had pals who had the good luck to work in the heavenly Bay View or Washington Park Libraries.

Former City Librarian Kate Huston (uncompromising in her aesthetic and a champion of forward-thinking architecture) had the good sense to hire Milwaukee’s own genius-architect Joy Peot-Shields to design both buildings. You hardly have to be a blind acolyte of contemporary design to appreciate what Ms. Peot-Shields accomplished with an ugly, neglected little corner on Kinnickinnic Avenue in 1993:

Bay View Library was designed to resemble a lantern of learning atop a hill.
When you enter this little gem with it’s southern and western walls of glass, you can feel your body inhale the natural elements, like sitting in a forest clearing on a warm summer evening.

Washington Park Library overlooks Washington Park at the busy intersection of N. Sherman Blvd., W. Lloyd St. and W. Lisbon Ave. and smiles at the old-world Revolutionary War hero Frederick William von Steuben on the boulevard. The building’s high-tech energy conservation system (including radiant in-floor heating and geothermal heat pumps) is uber-cool. The glassy, double-canopied entrance wraps around the northern corner and the inside atrium sports an enormous steel and glass sculpture by artist Steve Feren. The work is entitled “Megaphor” which is a nod to the megaphone and information transmission. I think it looks like a rocket ship. See what you think:

It’s Women’s History Month, and Milwaukee owes Ms. Huston and Ms. Peot-Shields an enormous debt of gratitude. If you’re a New Urbanist looking for yeasty, cutting edge-intellectual culture and lovely green architecture rising from the ashes of the old city, drop by both of these treasures. Go inside and meet dear Christopher, Enid, Mike and Tony, Lisa, Opal and Kenya, Ashley, and the lovely Irene. Tell those lucky-ducks I say hello.

The Friends will hold their next used book sale on Saturday July 11 at Bay View Library, 2566 S. Kinnickinnic Avenue, from 10:00am to 4:00pm. All proceeds benefit the Milwaukee Public Library. Friends members can shop early (beginning at 9:30am) with a valid membership card.

For information on how to join the Friends click here. Other sales scheduled for Central Library are September 19 and November 21.

Note: This sale occurs during the annual South Shore Frolics parade on S. Kinnickinnic, which begins at 11:00 a.m. Please plan your travel route accordingly.

Did you know that getting together with friends and playing games is good for your brain health? Celebrate Teen Read Week by playing a special teen edition of Book Jacket Bingo with a Read Beyond Reality theme. It's your chance to have fun, win prizes and discover some out-of-this-world reads.

Capitol Library 3969 N. 76th St 414.286.3006 Monday, Oct. 19 4 - 5 p.m.

Central Library, 814 W. Wisconsin Ave. 414.286.3091 Monday, Oct. 19 4 - 5 p.m.

Bay View Library, 2566 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. 414.286.3019 Thursday, Oct. 22 6 - 7 p.m.

Crave all things Anime and Manga?

Come to Bay View Library on Thursday, November 19 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. for a night of anime, manga, and fun activities!

Entries from last month's YA Manga Drawing Contest will be on display and open for People's Choice Judging! Snacks will be provided.

Sponsored by the MPL Teen Advisory Board, funded by the Helen Bader Foundation.

Need help creating a resume or filing out an online job application? Stop by one of our drop-in job help workshops! This program, funded through a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant and made possible with funds from Northwestern Mutual Foundation, provides assistance to individuals searching for jobs. A job trainer specialist is available to help you learn how to complete online job applications, write a resume online, search online job listings and obtain a free e-mail account. Drop -in job help is available at:
Central Library : Tuesdays 4:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m., Fridays 9:00a.m.-12:00p.m., and Saturdays 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
Atkinson Library: Tuesday 1:00 p.m. - 4:00p.m.
Bay View Library: Thursday 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Forest Home Library: Monday 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Martin Luther King:Monday 1:00 p.m. -4:00 p.m.

For the month of February, several of the neighborhood libraries are hosting an arts and crafts program inspired by the women of Gee's Bend and their famous quilts. Children will create their own quilt pattern using cut paper and other art supplies while they learn about these famous women and the historical significance of their quilts. This program is for children ages 5-12. Advanced registration is not necessary. Children and their parents may simply come into any of the participating libraries to create works of art based on the beautiful quilts of Gee's Bend.

Calling all teens ages 13-18! Stop into one of your participating neighborhood libraries on selected dates in March for the Super Smash Brothers Gaming Tournament. This gaming tournament is hosted by the Teen Advisory Board and sponsored by the Helen Bader Foundation. Teens can choose to compete at Bay View, Forest Home, Martin Luther King, Jr., or Mill Road for a chance to qualify for the finals at Central Library. Test your gaming skills for a chance to win bragging rights as well as prizes! Snacks will be provided, so come on over to get your game on!

Rudeness can put a real damper on your day. Nobody likes being ignored by a sales clerk, honked at by an impatient driver, or being disrespected by someone talking loudly on a cell phone. In The Civility Solution, author P.M. Forni writes about the importance of civility in today's busy world and suggests ways to deal with rudeness in more than one hundred different situations.

Join your friends and neighbors to discuss this book at the Bay View Library, 2566 S. Kinnickinnic Avenue on Wednesday, May 19 from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Bay View Library will be hosting a used book sale on Saturday, July 10 from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.

The sale is sponsored by the Friends of the Milwaukee Public Library, and all proceeds benefit the library.

Friends members may enter the sale 30 minutes before the general public with current membership card.

Now that summer is in full swing, are you scrambling for fun, educational activities for your children to participate in? Fortunately, Milwaukee Public Library has a summer activity calender to help you figure it all out! For young children, all branch libraries as well as Central host the Preschool Story Time. Children of all ages have a choice of several programs and activities, including performances, games, and other fun activities! All the libraries also have awesome activities for teens such as Wii gaming, Book Bingo, Teen Jeopardy, ice cream socials and more! So check out the calendar and take your kids to your favorite branch for summer fun!
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